[Macworld.com]

We're looking for your predictions about what will happen in the Mac market next year. And just to get you started, we look back at how our readers fared with their 2007 predictions. [more]

[PeteVG]

Steve Job will resign naming Al Gore as his successor. All products will only be available in a lovely green color.

[UU_evangelist]

An iPhone with at least 16 GB of memory (like the iPod touch!). Actually, I'm hoping that doesn't take until 2008.

[nanosound]

I was really hoping for new Mac Pros. Wasn't that also a prediction for 2007? If we predict they will come out in 2008, we can't be too wrong now.

[sdf]

Quote:

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I was really hoping for new Mac Pros. Wasn't that also a prediction for 2007? If we predict they will come out in 2008, we can't be too wrong now.

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Well, they could still come out in December, then you'd be wrong again! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[cphoffman42]

I hear your "16gb iPhone" and raise you a 3G 16gb iPhone. Which will be released eleven days after I buy an iPhone.

[taldrich]

1. A home VOIP wi fi phone system, with which the iPhone will be integrated.
2. A mini lap top with iPhone like touch screen
3. iTunes compatibility with 3rd party MP3 players

[drdreric]

an Apple-easy home server with easily expandable storage (keep adding external disks and they get incorporated into a ZFS?) Really easy central depot for the family media - music, photos, videos, movies, Time Machine files for the last 7 years, etc.
Something I add to my network and it is instantly recognized and used well by all the Macs in the house.
I hoped for this in 2007, so it's a repeat.

[MacGuyver]

Not much of a prediction, but still... I hope the iPod Nano will get bumped up to 16Gb in January. That way I can replace my recently deceased HP iPod with a flash-based model with room for my whole library (and for about half the price of an iPod touch).

[jholman]

BluRay will become standard on Pro models
iPhone with more memory and an SD type memory slot
New Apple TV with DVR capabilities
Along with the SDK apple will sell new apps online for the iPhone

[lwdesign]

Here are my predictions for 2008:
1) A redesigned monitor with built-in iSight. Yes, this has been expected for over a year but I think Apple will finally come out with all new organic LEDs.
2) A mid-size Mac, bigger than the mini and about half the size of a Mac Pro, with 1 or 2 expansion slots. The mini will stay and just keep getting faster, but remain the bottom end Mac.
3) Leopard will get some major changes throughout the year to address the various strong complaints users have. Stacks will bring back the standard folder in the dock functionality option.
4) A nano version of the iPod touch will arrive late in 2008.
5) The problems with the new aluminum keyboards will finally be fixed by November of 2008, after many people have purchased the older style white plastic keyboards in frustration.
6) Steve Jobs will have another minor health issue but will continue as CEO, although lots of talk will ensue about "what will Apple do without Steve?" Jon Ives will be groomed as Steve's protege.
7) Apple will come out with a small tablet computer running OS X (of course) that rivals the new Kindle from Amazon, but with full computer functionality. It will be about half the size of a 15" MacBook Pro, have finger-touch controls similar to the iPhone, an on-screen keyboard, an optional folding connectable keyboard accessory, Graphiti-like input, organic LED screen, compact flash memory and about 7-8 hours of battery life. It will be purchased by the gross by police departments, business inventory departments, FedEx and any other company that needs a small portable device for input, and should include a barcode scanner.
8) Finally a 12-inch MacBook Pro will debut with all flash RAM and amazing battery life.
9) The Zune will start to catch on and grab 5% more market share, whereupon Microsoft will do something monumentally stupid by unveiling a plan to charge more for Zune services while PRing how valuable and inexpensive they are, thereby alienating over 50% of Zune devotees. The iPod will continue to gain more market share by knocking out some of the smaller MP3 and MP4 player manufacturers.
10) The AppleTV will get a major update that turns it more into a Tivo-like device. Video content on the iTunes store will be offered in both low-res and high definition formats.
11) A new RAM technology and/or manufacturing process will be unveiled jointly by Intel, Toshiba and Samsung towards the end of the year, bringing solid state hard drives drastically down in cost and signing the death warrant for platter-based drives, especially for laptops and portables. Affordable flash drives will be available in the 128 to 256GB range and quickly become common. Replacement drives for older laptops will be the biggest selling upgrade of the year due to phenomenal low power consumption.
12) Apple will partner with several automobile companies in their hybrid electric/gas and ethanol/electric and hydrogen-powered lines, creating onboard computers running OS X, incorporating current backup camera technologies, OnStar-like services, fuel consumption and trip meters, iTunes/iPod connectivity, etc., etc.
13) Apple go even more consumer-oriented and will bring out a line of LED TVs that are designed for the living room, yet will be fully capable OS X computers, and have iTunes connectivity. Sizes will go from 24" to 42" to start with, and expand to 52" within 2 years. These new sets will revolutionize media purchasing, entertainment and watching, and all the other TV manufacturers will scramble to either make deals with Apple or Microsoft for built-in "MediaTVs".

[leicaman]

Here's a baker's dozen
1: 36, 27 and 24 inch Cinema Displays that look like the new iMac, with two DVI ports and built-in iSight cameras.
2: Mac Pros up to 3.2 GHz with the new 45nm Intel Xeons and fast graphics cards. All Mac Pros will be quad core.
3: MacPad Touch. Thin, diskless notepad/notebook with 802.11N.
4: iPod touch with 32 gig drive.
5: Filemaker's Bento becomes iWork's 5th app, called Sanshikisumire.
6: Apple buys TiVO, and TiVo-2-Go works with a new Apple-created app to move files to the Mac. Apple throws in Blu-ray burners to allow burning HD movies from 3G TiVOs.
7: Apple TV gets a massive storage upgrade.
8: iTunes Music Store goes HD Video.
9: Apple buys Dell and gives money back to investors.
10: Dvorak, Thurrott and Enderle form a new consulting firm: "Dumb, Dumber and Dummerer."
11: Shawn King grows hair, CARS' John Moltz writes a funny story about it.
12: MacCentral Forums get the link back to the Mosaics. Does not get renamed MaCentral Alumni, or MacCentral Classic, or MacCentral the Swatcat edition.
13: Jim Dalrymple joins Zakk Wyld's band. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif